


Winter Warmth

by Soak



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Ice Skating, Petra swims ashe skates it works okay, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Winter, sharing a blanket, yes my headcanon is that ashe is a good ice skater
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:20:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26227813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soak/pseuds/Soak
Summary: It's the start of a new year in Fódlan, and Petra is learning just how its inhabitants get through the long, dark months. Ashe offers to introduce her to an old pastime of his, skating on the frozen pond. For someone so sure on their feet, Petra comes to learn that winter holds many surprises. Finding a way to keep warm after a long afternoon outside, for instance, has many options.
Relationships: Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Petra Macneary
Comments: 3
Kudos: 31





	Winter Warmth

**Author's Note:**

> yeah idk i just wanted to do a "Petra discovers winter" fic

"Ashe… are you having certainty?"

The silver-haired boy picked his head up from his work. Sitting on the bench before him, Petra was bundled up in a hodge-podge of winter wear, scavenged and borrowed from the rest of the house. Two scarves on her neck, an oversized hat with large ear-covers, along with jacket and one of Dorothea's sweaters. One boot already had a blade affixed to the bottom, and he was fastening the other.

"It will be fun, I promise!" Ashe smiled, hoping to put any doubts away. "I used to do this all the time as a kid. It might be a little difficult at first, but I'm sure you'll get the hang of it."

Petra pushed her hat up, which had taken to constantly falling over her eyes. "I will hope so. But the cold, why are you not feeling it?"

Ashe looked down at himself, wearing nothing new from his usual outfit. "I guess I'm just used to it." He returned to the last straps of her skate, rocking back and forth on his own blades in the snow.

"I am having… much jealousy." She shivered.

Ashe patted her boot as he finished, rising up. He offered a hand. "Once we're moving, it'll be better. Don't worry."

She adjusted her hat again, nodding through her unease. "Okay."

They walked out onto the frozen pond. A couple other students were enjoying the cold afternoon, skating slow circles in uncertain steps. Petra put one blade on the ice, then the other. She stood in place, looking down at her feet, shifting them slowly back and forth.

"This is very unusual. I am thinking-"

Petra yelped, having stuck one foot out too far, her arms flailing and body falling.

"Whoa!" Ashe caught her, hands on her hip, keeping her upright. Her back was up against his chest, a silent moment passing as Petra caught her breath. "Are you all right?"

"Y- yes. Thank you."

Petra stood up on her own again, her legs stiff and set apart. Her arms were held out wide, wobbling, as she distrusted the ice below. Ashe stepped out beside her, pushing off with his blades and doing a few short circles.

"I missed this," Ashe mused, mostly to himself. Flashes of an old life at Castle Gaspard, where servants watered the courtyard for him and his adoptive family to skate on.

"It is looking fun when you are knowing how to not fall down," Petra called out, stranded.

"Yeah it is-" Then he caught Petra's gaze, remembering his promise. Ashe stopped and quickly returned to her. "Sorry! I shouldn't have left you out on your own."

Petra instinctively reached out, clutching at his arms. "It is fine. This is a pastime of Faerghus, correct?"

Ashe nodded. "I've been ice skating since I was young."

"Your skill is showing. I am... I am thinking this will be taking a long time for me to learn." She wobbled again. "Standing is having difficulty."

"Here, I'm going to move away for a second. I'll show you how it's done, and then I can help you do it, okay?"

Petra nodded, despite the uncertain buzz in her eyes.

Ashe broke off, pushing out into the pond. "It's... kind of like fighting, I guess—how you stand and balance is important. For now, keep your feet wide apart, like this."

Petra mirrored him in slow shuffles, the tip of her tongue stuck out in concentration.

"Good! Now, we'll do this together, but to move, you need to turn your foot so you can push off with the blade. Watch how I do it." Ashe skated in slow, deliberate strides. "And then if you need to stop-" he pushed his heels out, forming a point with the front of his skates. Slowly, he halted in front of her.

"That is not sounding so hard," Petra said. "But the balancing- it is challenging."

"I know, but you'll get the hang of it, I'm sure." Ashe offered out a hand. "You're always a quick learner."

Petra laughed as she took his hand. "I am not thinking so. It is that I am trying with hardness, even if I am failing."

"Oh, well... that too. Both, then."

Petra made a happy noise at the back of her throat, once again pushing up her hat.

"Ready?" Ashe asked. She nodded, and so he led, taking small, slow strides, keeping a watchful eye as they started to round the pond. A chill nipped at their cheeks and noses, the new year bringing its freeze to Garreg Mach. With all that had been going on, a fun reprieve was long overdue.

"This is not being as bad as I was thinking. The moving is odd, but also giving... freeness? Freedom? It is feeling very light, as if I was a bird, or a fast fish in the ocean." She took another stride, then wobbled again. Ashe's grip tightened. "Ah, I am meaning... once I have proficiency."

Ashe chuckled. "Let's just take it slow then."

Winter in Garreg Mach, hemmed in from most sides by the mountains, was not what Petra expected. The cold and the bite of the wind, that she had heard of, and even experienced in short snaps when Enbarr got a chill. Here it was endless, every day and every night, sometimes dipping so low that her hair froze on the short walk to class. Rumors of how it got even worse up north in Ashe's homeland, they were horrifying.

Snow, a fairy tale in Brigid, was something else entirely. Her brimming excitement was cut short to see those white flickers vanish upon hitting the ground. Flayn had spoken about making angels and snowmen, but those plans had to be stashed for another day. Dorothea assured her it'd stick once the earth got cold enough.

Now, months later, she had formed an uneasy truce with winter. She could abide the cold and the stuffy clothes, as long as she could continue enjoying its benefits. The faraway mountains, beautifully white-capped and majestic; fresh snowstorm mornings, quiet and pure and peaceful; hot cocoa with Bernie and Linhardt on a cold evening. Life took on a different pace and palette in winter.

That didn't mean there wasn't fun, either. Caspar introduced her to snowball fights, after the initial shock of getting pelted from across the courtyard. Ferdinand called it brutish. Dorothea beamed him in the chest.

And now, ice skating, off all things. After doing laps with Ashe for a while, she could begin to feel its draw. The movements, the gliding and control over a treacherous surface—slight hints and threads that reminded her of swimming. Much like her own favorite pastime, she supposed it might be graceful and relaxing for someone talented at it.

For now, though, she was doing her best to keep moving and not fall over.

"You're getting really good," Ashe said as they completed another lap.

"I am starting to understand, maybe."

She took her hand away from his, trying out a few paces on her own. He stayed beside her, gliding with slow, practiced movements. The balance he had on one foot was more solid that she had on two. Ashe had the gall to stick his hands in his pockets, to make it look easy again.

"Ashe."

"Yes?"

"You are showing boats again."

His face twisted up. "Showing boats? I don't- ah, wait, do you mean showboating?"

Ashe's correction stung. There wasn't a hint of malice in his voice, but given the fact that he was almost skating circles around her, without a inch of effort showing... she'd rather he not said anything. Yes, _showboating_ indeed.

Petra narrowed her eyes at him, then took off. She'd seen him go faster before, how hard could it be? The edges of her blade bit harder into the ice, propelling her faster and faster across the pond.

"P- Petra! Wait!"

The growing wind found the slits between her scarves, tracing cold wisps along her neck. Balancing was easier at a faster speed, continual momentum keeping her upright. Land blurred by like she was sprinting—maybe more, even.

Petra laughed, mostly in triumph, as he struggled to catch up. Forget swimming, this felt like flying. She stole a glance behind her, shooting a smirk in Ashe's direction. He gasped. Two could play this game.

"No, Petra! You need to turn!"

What?

Petra looked back to find the snowbanked edge of the pond not ten paces away. Turning, at this speed, felt like suicide. The wall of white rocketed closer. With a yelp, she hit the ice's edge and launched into the air, belly-flopping into the powder.

The good thing about the snow, was that it cushioned one's fall. The bad thing was, it was terribly cold. And worse yet, it could find every opening and crevice in one's clothes.

"Oh, goddess, are you okay?" Came Ashe's muffled words.

Petra tried to heave herself out, only managing to fling more snow over herself. The best she could do was roll onto her back. "I am being fine—p- please, help."

Ashe leaned over the edge, grabbing her wrists and helping her up. She shivered, her trembling hands trying to shake the snow out of her scarves, only dumping more of it down her jacket. The sharp, freezing sensation made her bounce perilously on her skates.

"Whoa!" Ashe drifted in close, keeping one hand on her back for support. "Hey, you're gonna fall over if you keep doing that!"

"B- but, the snow is having m- much coldness."

"I know, but Petra- hey! Watch it!"

"My a- apologies-"

Petra's blade caught on the ice, one foot shooting out into the air. Panic seizing her lungs, she snatched at the closest thing she could grab—Ashe's coat. He cried out, spinning on his skates, trying to stay upright. For a second, possibility hung on a perilous ledge, gravity and light whirling as both fought for balance.

Ashe leaned in, wrapping his arms around Petra's back, pulling her close. His practiced edge-work reined their struggle in. Slowly the world began to right itself, both of her feet finding purchase on the ice below. She sighed, hanging her head.

"Ah!" Ashe yelped. He hissed between his teeth. "Petra! Your nose is v- very cold!"

"Oh!" She pulled back, taking her face away from his neck. "I was not being aware."

"It's... it's okay. Whew, that was a close one, huh?"

"Yes. You are having my thanks, Ashe. Your footwork was saving me."

He smiled, ducking his head away like he did for most compliments. It was harder when he was so close, however. His cute freckles only grew closer, within range of touching with her nose and seeing if it'd earn another gasp. A flutter in her heart dared her to find out.

Before she could decide, Ashe seemed to remember himself. Patches of color blossomed in his cheeks as he untangled himself and slid away.

"Well, I think that's enough skating for one day, don't you think? You must be cold."

Her toes were frozen in her boots—she admitted as much with a quick nod. "Yes, I would be liking some warmth. Can we be having tea, perhaps?"

"Oh, well sure!" Ashe helped her as they started skating back to the entrance. "What kind do you like?"

"It is not mattering to me." Her heart thumped a little louder in her ears. "Your room is being closer, can we be brewing it there?"

Nervousness rippled across Ashe's face, but he tried to push it away. "Of course!"

\--

The door slammed shut behind them, winter's howling muffled into the background.

"All right, well, here we are." Ashe gave an anxious chuckle. "Just make yourself comfortable, I'll get everything set."

"Are you sure? I can be helping with the brewing."

Ashe shook his head. "I wouldn't be a very good host—beside, you still look like you're freezing. Here, take this." He crossed the room and grabbed the blanket from his bed, offering it over.

"But this is your own."

"Oh, don't worry. I'll be fine." Ashe began shuffling things around in his room, settling out all the niceties for tea. Cushions, a foldable table, a simple tea set. A magical burner with a small kettle in the center.

Petra sat on a cushion as he worked. The blanket was heavy and down-stuffed, a luxury compared to her own. She draped it over her shoulders, wrapping it around until her head was visible. Slowly, feeling returned to her toes.

Ashe pulled out a wooden box, latticed into small segments, different dried leaves in each. "You like spicy tea, right?"

"Yes, but please, do not be making your selection for me. Be choosing what you are wanting."

"Well, I want you to enjoy yourself too. Ginger it is."

Petra huffed, slumping into the blanket. The rising tide of affection was only pulling at her heartstrings harder. She had spent all morning trying not to read into his offer to go ice skating, "just the two of them" as he had put it—but maybe she should just give in by now.

Ashe placed a pinch of dried leaves and ginger shavings into the teapot. His hands skimmed around the setup of sugar and porcelain and tiny biscuits, before arriving at the kettle. He held them out to the small flame, toasting his frosted fingers.

The sharp eyes of a hunter missed little. Petra emerged from her blanket, a hand reaching out to grab his own cushion. She pulled it closer, beside her own, before holding the blanket out wide.

"You are cold, do not be lying. Come, the water will not be boiling so soon—we can be sharing."

Ashe glanced over—his eyes widened for a flash as he took the scene in. "I... Are you sure? The blanket is for you, after all. I- I'll be fine."

"Ashe. Come, sit. You are wanting me to enjoy myself, I am wanting you to be comfortable. It is fair, I am thinking."

She patted the cushion next to her. Ashe's eyes flicked around the room nervously, toying with his own fingers. Then, with a resigned sigh, he shuffled across the floor and sat down, consciously keeping space between themselves.

Petra draped half of the blanket over him. Faint touches along his back brought a dumb grin to her face. It must be the damn cold thawing from her bones; keeping her emotions in check was becoming a struggle.

"I am wanting to be apologizing, for before," she began. "The snow should not be a problem for me. If I was not jumping, we would not have almost been falling."

"Oh! That- no, it's okay." Ashe chuckled, trilling like a spooked bird. "I didn't mind—everything ended fine, after all."

"Are you having truth?" Petra shifted closer. "You were giving shock when my nose was cold."

"Well, sure. But, uh... that wasn't so bad, I guess."

"Oh?"

Petra tilted her head for a moment, taking him in. Despite some nervous eyes, a ghost of a smile lingered on his lips, almost as if he too was trying to rein himself in. He shuffled on his seat, gears churning in his brain, trying to think of how to respond.

Well, if there was ever a time to try the hand fate had dealt, now would be it: wrapped together under a blanket on a cold afternoon, as the weak sun went to sleep early. Tendrils of flame grabbed at the underside of the kettle.

Petra bumped his shoulder. She stuck her nose out towards him. "Is it still being cold?"

The noise that came out of his throat was no language she knew. Wide-eyed, he stared for a moment before freeing a hand from the blanket. Uncertain fingertips touched her nose.

"Ah- well, I... I'm not sure."

Internally, Petra rolled her eyes.

"You are not knowing? Then you should be getting closer."

"Uh, how? We're already-"

"Ashe," Petra whispered with a huff. She leaned against him, tilting her head up to look him in the eyes. She watched as realization dawned, as those freckles of his lit up with a blush.

"O- oh."

Petra grabbed a fistful of his jacket, helping him along, guiding him downwards. Two pairs of eyes closed, succumbing to the moment, as lips met. The tender touches were more than enough to chase the cold away.

She leaned in harder against Ashe, wrapping an arm around his back. He pulled away with a gasp.

"S- sorry! Your- your nose is still cold."

Petra laughed, a satisfying one from deep in her soul that rose like a cloud. Weeks and months of pining had been realized, only to be interrupted—by the cold on a boy who said he'd grown used to it, no less.

She leaned back in, skimming her nose on his. "Will this be stopping you?"

He shivered with each touch, but didn't back away. "Of- of course not."

A hand traced up her jaw, bringing them back together. Wind-chapped lips met each other again, smiles curling both at the edges. The kettle began to whine and blare, but neither bothered with it until long after the water had boiled away.

In the midst of Fódlan winter, they were still warm. The tea could wait.

**Author's Note:**

> New works posted @ [my twitter](https://twitter.com/cozysoak)


End file.
